Problems With Star Wars: The Old Republic

I am going to start off by saying that I can't wait for Star Wars: The Old Republic to be released. I think it's going to be an amazing experience and I look forward to defeating the Rebel scum with my friends. That being said, there are many things I find concerning. In an attempt to make a fun game, Bioware has made choices with both the gameplay and story.

A big problem I have with the game is that it takes place more than 3,000 before the Battle of Yavin in Episode IV. Three. Thousand. I have a problem with this for multiple reasons. You're telling me that over the course of 3,000 years, the Jedi regressed from battle armor to just robes; that an array of cool weapons and technology just disappeared; that the Empire had giant mechs with gatling guns that were mobile, and they turned to the slow AT-AT walkers; that Coruscant didn't progress at all technologically (do you know how much our country has changed in 100 years?); and that Boba Fett wore the same Mandalorian armor that they wore 3,000 ago?

Notice the armor and tight sleeves. Who did the research to convince the Jedi that more cloth will provide more protection.

I guess technology just plateaus after a while. The only thing that they were developing over that period of time was the Death Star? Where's the personal shield barriers that we see being used in the trailers? Where were those when Leia's Corellian Corvette was being boarded by Stormtroopers? This is the problems with making games that take place the far before the time the movies took place. It would have been better to tackle the Republic against the Sith after Luke rebuilds the Jedi and his nephew turns evil, and all that jazz.

Also, how many times has the Republic been attacked? So there's the Republic that Leia, Han, and Luke were defending, after that (in the books, comics, etc.) they made the New Republic, and before the movies there was the Old Republic. Is this the same Old Republic? Or is there an older Old Republic? Or is the Old Republic the Republic that Luke and company were defending? Maybe they should just abandon the Republic model—obviously, it isn't working. There's always an Empire waiting in the wings.

Moving on from the timeline, we have the issue with Huttball. I understand that Bioware wanted to offer a fun PvP “battlefield,” but I think Huttball was the wrong venue. It's not that the game mode won't be fun, it's that there's no room for it in the fight between the Republic and Sith Empire. You're going to tell me that even though there is an epic battle going on between the Jedi and Sith, a bunch of them manage to find some down time to play Huttball for the amusement of the Hutts? If that's the case, maybe that explains why there wasn't much of a Jedi resistance when Anakin Skywalker was striking down Younglings. They were out playing Huttball! They could have easily incorporated a game mode like this for PvP without giving it an American Gladiators skin.

You know you see the similarities.

The last thing that really bothers me is how Bioware is handling player choices. Apparently, you can be a Jedi (or any Republic class) and choose nothing but Dark Side choices, reflecting your choices in your appearance. So you're telling me, I can play a Sith Inquisitor, yet make all of the “good” choices? I can be a Jedi that chooses to kill everyone instead of letting them stand trial? That's not very Jedi-like, is it now? Unless they give you the opportunity to switch to the Empire, which they won't, then it just doesn't work. It could have worked if every player started off neutral, and then the choices you make determine your light side or dark side standing—kinda like how Galaxies had you earn reputation towards factions.

First of all, why are they in a Team Fortress 2 map. Second, why do all Sith have trouble breathing?

I'm not saying that any of this will ruin the game. I'm still going to buy it, I'm going to play it, and most likely, I'll become obsessed with it. I'm just saying, for a game that stresses storyline so much, these are so big Star Wars problems to have. They're not on Jar Jar Binks level of problems/casting Hayden Christiansen and Natalie Portman, but they're at least equal to removing the Ewok song at the end of Return of the Jedi.